Education Through Athletics: An Examination of Liberal Arts Education in the Princeton Student-Athlete Experience

Abstract

This research examines the liberal arts educational tradition through the experiences of varsity student-athletes at Princeton. In an increasingly specialized research model of modern universities, many believe that the traditional values of a liberal arts are no longer are part of the educational experience. By examining the identity formation and the role of the student-athlete on Princeton’s campus, this research suggests that for many student-athletes, the fruits of a liberal arts education –holistic personal development—goes undiscovered; for others, however, a transformative experience still occurs.